By RACKSON SHAMUTUKU -
Health centres in Chililabombwe recorded seven babies born on Christmas Day, with Kakoso Clinic topping the list with four babies – one female and three males.
At Lubengele Clinic two babies, both males, were born, while Chimfunshi Health Centre welcomed a baby boy.

•CHILILABOMBWE Mayor Paul Kabuswe talks to Mercy Silundu, the mother of a newly-born baby at Kabengele Clinic in Chililabombwe on Chrismas Day. Picture by RACKSON SHAMUTUKU

Chililabombwe Mayor Paul Kabuswe, who visited the two health institutions, gave out presents to the newborns.
The mayor donated hampers to all the seven babies and interacted with their mothers who were grateful for the gesture.
During the visit, managements at the health centres told the mayor that they were facing challenges such as lack of shelter and power shortages.
Chililabombwe District only has one medical doctor who also covers Kasumbalesa, on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mr Kabuswe said because of the population increase in the district, there was need to expand the health centres to enhance service provision to the people.
He said civic leaders would soon meet with Zesco management in the area to discuss the load shedding issue so that the health centres, especially the maternity wings, could be exempted from power cuts.
The mayor also appealed to the ministry of Health to consider taking more doctors to the district following the population explosion.
Lubengele Clinic sister-in-charge, Peggy Kampamba said the shelter at the health centre was small, and that there was need to provide the centre with furniture as patients sit under the tree while waiting to be attended to.
Ms Kampamba said the population in Kabengela and the surrounding areas had risen to 49,000 while the staffing level for medical personnel had remained static.
Kakoso Clinic sister-in-charge, Judith Mushili thanked Kapingile School management for donating a generator.

By JUDITH NAMUTOWE -
THE Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) has said the feasibility study on the Batoka Hydropower Station has been reviewed.
ZRA chief executive officer Munyaradzi Munodawafa said in an interview yesterday that the review on the demo structure, power house and capacity output on the project had been completed.
Mr Munodawafa said the authority was currently waiting for the second phase of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
‘‘We have reviewed the Batoka Hydropower Station feasibility study. The study on the demo structure, power house structure and the capacity output on the project has been completed,’’ Mr Munodawafa said.
He said the finalisation of the study and the EIA was expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2015.
Mr Munodawfa said consultants were currently working on other processes and thereafter the project committee which include senior Government officials , utilities and ZRA would visit the project this month.
He said once all these processes were completed, ZRA would then be able to select the developer for the project, after which the authority would be able to come up with the actual value of the project.
Zambia and Zimbabwe signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to team up and start the Batoka hydropower project which is estimated to cost about US$4 billion.
The agreement was signed during the council of ministers held at Kariba in Siavonga recently.